Radial engine crankshaft mechanism



Sept. 2, 1952 R. D. WILLIS 2,608,870

RADIAL ENGINE cRANxsx-IAFT MECHANISM Filed July 28, 195o s sheets-sheet 1 Arronwer Sept. 2, 1952 R. D. wlLLls 2,508,870

' RADIAL ENGINE CRANKSHAFT MECHANISM Filed July 2s, 195o l s sheets-sheet 2 Sept. 2, 1952 R. D. wlLLls 2,608,870

RADIAL ENGINE CRANKSHAFT MECHANISM Filed July 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 HHM l l WW/ m 29 /d u. @Vil l T www1/121,8 263i? zg' -n/o l?? a3 wy? a /Wra mier Patented Sept. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT "oFlFiczff- Robert D. Willis, Del Rio, Tex. Application July 28, 1950,l Serial No. 176,468

Z Claims. l

The present invention relates to a radial engine crank shaft mechanism and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a radial engine crank shaft mechanism including'an engine casing from which extends a `plurality of cylinders in each of which is reciprocally mounted a piston. Acrank shaftextends centrally through the casing and is pro-vided with a crank pin upon which is revolubly mounted a circular link rod hub, the periphery of which is interconnected by piston rods With the various pistonsand to which is aiixed a gear. A counterweighted plate extends outwardly from Aone side of the crank shaft and 'is provided at either side with a stub shaft which extends therethrough and each of which is provided With a planetary gear at either end thereof. The planetary gears aton'e side. ofthe plate are enmeshed with the, gear attached tothe hub and the planetary gears at the other side of the plate are enmeshed With a gear which isV identical with the gear attached to the hub and which is formed integrally With a Worm Wheel which is, in turn, enmeshed witha transversely extending Worm mounted upon the inner side of the casing. A pin anchored to the inner side of the casing extends through an arcuate slot. formed in the worm wheel. Revolution of the worm acts to change the timing of the conventional firing Within the cylinders. v

I t is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a mechanism of the character set forth vvhichis comparatively simple` and inexpensive and yet which is effective and efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is the lprovision of novel means, in a mechanism of the character set forth, for altering the timing arrangement of an engine with which it may be utilized. K v

A further object of the invention is the provision, in a mechanism of the Character set forth, of a novel crank connection for the piston rods of a radial engine.

A still further object ofthe invention is'the provision, in-'a mechanism of the character set forth, of novel gearing forming a partA of th invention. t f A still further object of the invention is the provision, in a mechanism of the character set forth, of novel means for regulating the same.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction With the drawings, in which:

(ci. '14g-52) VFigure l is a fragmentary vertical vsectional vievv, partly in elevation, of an vengine embodying the present invention, *i

, Figure-2 is an enlarged sectional view, partly broken .,away, taken along line 2--2 ofFigure -.1,

Y Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional viewtaken along line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectionalvview along line 4-4 of Figure 3, Y y

Figure 5 isa fragmentary elevational View, partly in section, illustrating a worm wheel, `worm and associated parts forming a part ofthe invention, l Y

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 3, c

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken alongline 1 1 of Figure 6, l r

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view ofa pair of planetary gearsutilized in the invention, Figure 9 is a lperspective view of a bushing utilized in connection with'the planetary gears shown in Fig-ure 8, and

Figure 10 is a perspective View of al pin or stub shaft utilizedV in connection with the device shown inFiguresandQ. y 1,.

Referring more 'particulary to thev drawings, there is shown therein a radial engine crankshaft mechanism comprising a casingv Il!v having qouttaken kwardly extending therefrom a plurality of-cy1 inders I I in each of which is reciprocally mounted a piston `I2. Centrally extending through the casing le and journaled in stub bushings I3 and I4 is a crank shaft I5 to which is alixeda plate or cheek I6 having a crank I'I afxed thereto-at one of its ends and having 'a crank armlIS keyed', as indicatedat I9 to its lother end and a tapered fitting,'a"nut 20 serves to maintain the'arm .I8 in 'keyedcondition upon the crank" I 'I.;l-

A linkl rod khub 2I is revolubly mounted lupon the crank I1 and has pivotally connectedifthereto at its periphery, as indicated at V22, a seriesl of linkV rods 23` each 'of which is pivotally connected at its other end, as indicated at Z4, to one ofthe llvis'tonsl'ZlV f Aixe'd to one side of the hub 2| andlsurround; ing the crank I'I is'an annular" gear V25 which is enmeshed with a pair ofY planetary #gears I26 which A are connected by skirt members-'27` and skirt members 28 with a pair' of likev planetary gears 29. The skirt members 2'I and 2`8iar'ekeyd, as indicated at 30 and 3,I in Figure 8 of the drawings, 'and extend through bushings 32 `which extend transversely through either side of thecheek I6. Pins 33 extend through the interiorsfof the' pairs of gears 26 and 29.

The gears 29 are, in turn, enmeshed with an annular gear 34 which surrounds the shaft I5 and which is integrally interconnected with a worm wheel 35 which likewise surrounds the shaft I5 and which is provided with an arcuate slot 31 through which extends a stub pin 33 which is anchored, as indicated at 33, to the inner wall of the casing I0.

Transversely and revolubly mounted in a pair of brackets 40 afhxed to the inner wall of the casing `I0, is a worm gear 4I which is provided with a control shaft 42. The gear 4I is enmeshed with the worm wheel 35. The outer surfaces of the skirt members 2l and 28 are preferably nished with a high polish to act as bearings when they are mounted within the bushings 32 and pins 33 are preferably press-tted into the bores of the gears 26 and 29. The cheek i6 is provided with a counterweight 43.

In operation, it will be apparent that when the engine is in operation the pistons I2 will reciprocate in timed relation to one another Within their respective cylinders I1. This action will cause the conventional rotary movement of the crank pin I'I through the rods 23 andthe hub ,d

main at all times in its same relative position,

that is to say the uppermost position along the periphery of the hub 2| will remain uppermost regardless of the position of the hub 2I with respect to the shaft I5. This fact makes for a lessening in the oscillatory movements of the rods 23 from that conventionally incurred thus lessening wear upon the various bearings causing the lengthening of the useful life of such bearings.

Since theA worm wheel and its attached gear 3'4 are normally at a standstill due to the fact that the Worm wheel is enmeshed with the worm 4I, it will be seen that the planetary gears 26 and 29 will cause the motion of the hub 2l as above described and that if no further movement is given the worm wheel 35 that firing within the cylinders II will take place identically with each revolution of the engine. When, however, it is desired to alter the timing of the engine, it is only necessary to revolve the worm gear through its controlshaft 42 thus moving all of the pivot points 22 in a counterclockwise or clockwise direction as the casemay be thus speeding up or retardingl the timing of the engine. It will be apparent that the length of the slot 2'I' will act to klimit the movement of the worm Wheel 35 due to the fact that the stub pin 38 extends laterally therethrough. ,It will also be seen that the control shaft 4I may be turned manually, electrically, mechanically or otherwise as the contingency may direct.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism of the character described for use inconnection with a radial engine having a. casing, cylinders, and pistons in said cylnders; the provision of a crankshaft extending centrally through said casing, a crank pin for said crankshaft insaid casing, cheeks interconnecting said crank pin and said crankshaft, one of said cheeks being in the form of a plate, a linkrod hub revolubly mounted on said crank pin, piston rods pivotally connected with said hub at their inner ends and pivotally connected at their outer ends with said pistons, an annular gear aixed to said hub and surrounding said crank pin, a second annular gear of equal size to said first-mentioned annular gear surrounding said crankshaft, driving interconnection between said annular gears carried by said plate-like cheek, means for selectively and circumferentially positioning the annular gear carried by said crankshaft, and means for limiting the movement of said lastmentioned annular gear, said positioning means including a worm wheel surrounding said crankshaft and affixed to the last-mentioned annular gear, a worm gear affixed to the inner wall of said casing and enmeshed with said worm Wheel, and an operating shaft connected with said worm gear, said last-mentioned means including an arcuate slot formed in said worm wheel and a pin anchored in said casing and extending through said slot.

2. A mechanism of the character described for use in connection with a radial engine having a casing, cylinders, and pistons in said cylinders; the provision of a crankshaft extending centrally through said casing, a crank pin for said crankshaft in said casing, cheeks interconnecting said crank pin and said crankshaft, one of said cheeks being in the form of a plate, link rod hub revolubly mounted on said crank pin, piston rods pivotally connected with said hub at their inner ends and pivotally connected at their outer ends with said pistons, an annular gear aiTixed to said hub and surrounding said crank pin, a second annular gear of equal size to said first-mentioned annular gear surrounding said crankshaft, driving interconnection between said annular gears carried by said plate-like cheek, means for selectively and circumferentially positioning the annular gear carried by said crankshaft, and means for limiting the movement of said lastmentionedl annular gear, a worm gear affixed to the inner Wall of said casing and enmeshed with said worm wheel, and an operating shaft connected with said worm gear, said last-mentioned means including an arcuate slot formed in said worm wheel and a pin anchored in said casing and extending through said slot, and said driving interconnection comprising a pin extending through each side of said plate-like cheek, a first planetary gear carried at one end of each of said pins and enmeshed with the first-mentioned annular gear, and a second planetary gear carried at the other end of each of said pins and enmeshed with the other of said annular gears.

ROBERT D. WILLIS,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,421,878 Westerfield July 4, 1922 2,060,221 King Nov. 10, 1936 2,209,012 Barkeij July 23, 1940 2,378,507 Sharpe June 19, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,585 France Dec. 14, 1921 (Addition to No. 503,733)` 620,075 France Dec. 19, 1925 

